


Space Babies: Before the War

by classically_casual



Category: Space Babies (Webcomic)
Genre: Cute Friendship, Fluff, Hurt/Comfort, Side Project, good family dynamics, honestly i just got bored, i have no clue, shitty parents, webcomic, will update tags as the story progresses
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-10-28
Updated: 2019-07-10
Packaged: 2019-08-08 17:29:32
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 7
Words: 6,384
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16433747
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/classically_casual/pseuds/classically_casual
Summary: (This is my first work on this site, so sorry if things don't really look right.)Reece Koyama was not expecting to make friends with these idiots. Not that she doesn't appreciate them.





	1. Chapter 1

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Very few of these chapters are chronological with a cohesive story, so uh, sorry.

      Reece was… unimpressed, to say the least. After all, Killian Hicks was not a very impressive boy. He was completely average, at best. Extremely boring at worst. The only interesting thing about him, Reece decided, were the unfortunately large eyebrows gracing his face. However, the boy had just saved her from getting mugged, or raped, or kidnapped, so she supposed she could ignore just how plain he looked for now. Killian offered her a hand, but she brushed it away, her mother's voice ringing, “No matter what happens, you should always remain composed, dignified, and prideful. Do not accept anything from those below you.” Standing up, she brushed a few strands of long black hair behind her ear and decided that Killian Hicks was indeed below her. A country boy who probably lived in the middle of nowhere, with a deadbeat dad and a whore mother who couldn't be bothered with her own children. She wanted nothing to do with him. She decided this and yet… he intrigued her, to an extent. “Why bother saving a stranger, whom you definitely don't have any incentive to save, and risk your own life in the process?” She had to ask. It _bothered_ her that she might now owe this self-righteous boy and his impulsive behaviour.

      Instead of answering, Killian tilted his head slightly, muttering, “Incentive…?” Reece groaned, irritated. Not only was this boy dumb and reckless, but uneducated as well. Fantastic. “Yes, incentive. It means to have reason, baegchi.” Killian's eyes widened at the foreign word, before he burst out laughing. “You must be Reece Koyama! I heard there was a Korean transfer student comin’ today!” The boy grinned, wiping at non-existent tears. “Man, ya missed school yesterday! Who woulda thunk some rich girl would skip school…?” He trailed off, the smile slipping from his face as he realised what he had said. “SHIT! I GOTTA GET TO SCHOOL!” He quickly picked up his bag and ran towards the mouth of the alley, before stopping. “You know howta get to the high school, Rich?” Reece flushed, angry at the prospect. “O-of course I do, baegchi! Who do you think-” Reece stopped cold when she realised that, no, from this specific spot in town she did not, in fact, know how to get to the high school. Her attacker had dragged her quite a ways off her path, after all. Much to her annoyance Killian grinned, and spoke with a friendly tone. “Thought so. C'mon! I'll show ya how to get there, so you don't get lost again!” Reece huffed, not wanting to follow this dumbass. She didn't have much choice though, seeing as she had no clue where she was. “Fine, but don't think this makes us friends, ass.” Killian shrugged, a lazy, knowing grin on his face. “Sure thing, Rich. I can respect that.” And with that he turned on his heel, exiting the alleyway as Reece gathered her school things.

      Yes, Killian Hicks was incredibly, unbelievably unimpressive. But, something about his demeanor and attitude towards life just made him a bit more intriguing in Reece's eyes, which lead to her walking into her new school with thoughts of smiling brown eyes and the hidden fear behind them.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry if the Korean is off  
> I don't speak Korean and am just using things like google translate and wiki  
> So uh  
> Sorry if I offend someone

      Reece was used to these girls. They were boring and predictable, but familiar. Rich, plain girls with parents who worked with her own, thus the ‘friendship’ between them. Reece had only caught glimpses of the boy that had saved her on that first day, not being able to hold a full conversation with him since then.

      Killian Hicks hung out with a taller boy named Calix Synn, who he seemed to have a rivalry with, and a shorter girl, whose name remained unknown to her. All three of them had dark hair, and plain faces. Reece watched as the two boys fought over some trivial matter, completely oblivious to the girl next to her, who was trying to get her attention. They just looked so…  _ comfortable _ . Friendly. Like they genuinely cared about one another, and it made Reece so- “Reece!” Said girl startled out of her hazy state, and locked cold, unamused eyes on the short blonde next to her. Hannah? Hani? She had no clue. “What?” The girl glanced back at a tall redhead, the so-called leader of this small gaggle of teenage females. Opal smiled mischievously, before speaking in an  _ annoyingly condescending tone,  _ “What, Koyama? You got a crush on one of those boys over there or something?” This caused Reece to sneer. Of course these nyeons would think something so shallow. “As if. They're making a scene, and I'm not the only one who's noticed, Opie.” Opal frowned at the nickname, before noticing that Reece was correct.  _ Of course I am. You're too busy with your image to notice anything else, sae-kki.  _

      However, Opal's predatory grin returned in an instant. “Well, either way, you seem interested in them. Want some information?” Reece huffed, indignant. “Depends. Is it _information_ , or _gossip?_ ” Opal laughed airily, the four other girls joining her. The lax grin on her face only fueled the irritation sparking under Reece's skin. “Of course it's information. After all, everybody here already knows this shit. It's not worth a dime.” Opal hissed. Reece took note of the aggressive tone Opal was using, knowing it to be a defensive grip to rally her allies and ensure they wouldn't leave to a new leader. Not that Reece wanted these bumbling brats as her lackeys. Instead of reacting to what was clearly bait, Reece narrowed her eyes, her gaze turning steely. “Then why would I want to know it, if it's so worthless?” Opal's predatory gaze turned smug. “Well, if you hang out with us you might as well know who to stay away from.” The girl gave a smile that was more a show of teeth. “I mean, wouldn't want you getting beat up because of those morons.” This tidbit caused a spark of curiosity in Reece, though she didn't let it show. “What do you mean?” She kept her voice level. Opal grinned. “You want to know so badly? Meet us after school, out back by the field. We'll show you just what we mean.” With that, the bell rang, signalling the end of lunch, and therefore the conversation between the two girls. 

      Opal left with her little minions, leaving Reece to watch the trio of friends walk out of the cafeteria on the other end, a strange emotion bubbling at the way they interacted with each other so easily. She left the lunchroom that day unknowing of the pale gray eyes watching her from among the small group of friends.


	3. Chapter 3

     

      Reece sat boredly on the bench behind the school. The small group of predictable, boring girls had yet to show. Reece expected this though. She suspected they were simply setting her up for some joke that involves her humiliation in some way, and debates simply leaving. However, her curiosity had taken hold of her. 

      Killian Hicks was an enigma. He acted as if living life was the best thing to ever happen to him, yet his body language and fearful nature opposed that so strongly that Reece was convinced something else was happening. It didn't help that she couldn't gather much information on him from the other students. Despite her diplomatic background, she found herself to be extremely awkward around other teenagers, and always ended up messing up her speech in some way. So, she opted to instead avoid contact with them altogether, thus her lack of information. She was beginning to feel bitter, when she suddenly noticed a tall boy down the field. She recognized the long, dark hair of Calix Synn. Reece looked on curiously, confused as to what the boy was doing. He didn't seem much like the athletic type, after all. Plus, to her knowledge, no sports team was holding practice today anyways.

      She caught movement out of the corner of her eye, glancing over to see a large boy (Geoffrey Egnip, if she recalled correctly) ambling towards Calix. He seemed to have a smug grin on his face. Reece had been so absorbed in the current happenings that she failed to notice Opal walking up behind her, her group of teens following closely. It caused Reece to jump slightly when Opal put a hand on her shoulder. “So, have you figured it out yet, cookie?” Opal whispered, a strange lilt to her voice that made Reece slightly uncomfortable. “Figured out wha-” Reece was interrupted by a loud shout, and watched on in horror as Geoffrey hit Calix to the ground, a small stack of bills in his hands. 

      Opal cut in once more, as Geoffrey called his friends over to join in on the ‘fun’. “Calix Synn is an orphan. He doesn't have a home, or parents to supply him with any sort of protection in this hell hole, so he pays Geoffrey to protect him.” Opal let out a sharp laugh. “However, we made a deal with him today. That we'd pay him more than Synn could ever make if he refused the protection money.” Understanding and horror dawned on Reece as she realised just what was happening. Calix was being used as bait to lure in his two friends. Despite a lack of information on the threes personal lives, Reece had noticed that they were outcasts in the social hierarchy of high school. So, that made them prime victims of bullying. 

      Reece stood up suddenly, whipping around angrily. “What is wrong with you bitches?!” Reece was fuming. How dare these no-good bo-jissibs do something so…  _ terrible?!  _ Reece began sprinting across the field, her long hair tangling behind her as she raged. As soon as she arrived, she grabbed the nearest boy and shoved his face into the dirt, putting her foot on him on order to ensure he didn't get back up. The fact that his eyes were an interesting shade of blue, or that his nose crooked at an odd angle didn't matter to Reece. She hardly even noticed the details to begin with. “You assholes better step back, before I fucking  _ break something. _ ” Geoffrey laughed. “Yeah, and how's a petite little thing like you gonna do that?”

      “Like this.” A sudden voice rang out, and a wooden bat was quickly smashed into the back of Geoffrey's head. As the giant fell, Reece took note of the way Killian Hicks stood there, breathing ragged and a large blood stain on his side. The small girl, who Reece still hadn't learned the name of, stood behind him, carrying a heavy book, with an expression that screamed bloody murder sitting heavily on her features. The girl quickly made her way over to the boys closest to Calix, knocking them over and out with the textbook (because it was, indeed, an anatomy textbook and the irony wasn’t lost on Reece), while Killian made his way over to Reece, a toothy grin settled on his face. His teeth were bloody, but he didn't seem to mind too much. “Hey, backup’s on it’s way, so if you wanna dick up someone's shit, you best do it now.” Killian stepped away towards the chaos of the fight, where Calix had recovered enough to throw a few punches here and there, before pausing. “Thanks, though. You're probably the first person who's stood up to those cake-faced bitches for us.” Then he took off, yelling “You're not so bad, Reece!” 

      Reece stood there for a second, completely dazed at the genuine gratitude that had just been sent her way. Before Opal showed up and shit on it, anyways. “What the  _ hell _ do you think you're doing, Koyama!?” Reece sighed irritably, looking back at a raging bull. She decided she enjoyed Killian's insult. “Stopping a bunch of innocent kids from being fucked up by a bunch of cake-faced bitches.” A lazy, totally undignified grin stretched across Reece's face. Opal screeched out her hatred, before lashing out. Reece caught the hand that had been flying towards her face, leaning in and whispering, “You shouldn't be so predictable, O-pie,” before smacking the redhead across the cheek. The thrill that came with cutting this toxin out of her life caused her to shiver. Reece had never felt so  _ free _ . The feeling was short-lived as she suddenly heard obnoxious whooping behind her. Opal ran off, clearly humiliated, and Reece turned to see Killian Hicks and 4 other people, all sharing a strange likeness. 

      Killian guffawed at the sight of such a self-righteous bitch running with her tail between her legs. “Whelp, don't think she's coming back anytime soon!” The strange part was, Reece didn't feel irritated when this idiot interrupted her moment of victory. Killian stepped forward, gesturing to the people behind him. “So, this is the cavalry. My big twin bears, Grace and Grant,” He pointed to the two older looking kids, both who stood slightly shorter and paler than the tan boy, “and these are PB and James, the two most level-headed cucks you'll find in my family.” Despite the insult, Reece could  _ feel _ the affection these siblings held for each other. She opened her mouth to make some comment, what about she didn't know yet, when Calix and the small girl suddenly came over, looking at Reece curiously. Killian brightened immediately, and it caused a small flicker of  _ envy _ to lick at Reece's heart. She stood straight, for once making a decision without thinking it through, adrenaline affecting her impulse control considerably. “Well, we're all friends now. You have no choice in the matter.” Killian gave a shit-eating grin, causing Reece to scowl. “Don't think it's because I like you. Clearly, none of you know how to take care of yourselves, so I'm here to do that job for you.” 

      The girl glomped Reece suddenly. “AH! You were right, Kili! She really is sweet!” Reece spluttered as Killian cackled. Reece shouted out a threat to murder the boy, causing him to laugh even harder. The group of friends continued to insult and mock eachother, but with a sort of affection that Reece found hard to understand. But, despite that, it felt  _ good.  _ Being part of such a close group, even though she just joined it, and she was already practically  _ one of them _ . Killian's siblings said their goodbyes, Grant practically breaking Killian's spine with how hard he pat his back. 

      As they began to leave, seeing as many of the bullies were beginning to wake up and nobody wanted to be stuck in that situation, Reece was suddenly pulled to the side by Calix. “T-thank you. Really.” Reece shook her head. “Don't thank me for being a half-decent human being.” Calix just smiled knowingly, and Reece felt a sudden sense of foreboding as he walked away, catching up with the girl, whose name Reece finally knew. She shrugged off her unease, walking towards her home. This was okay. She felt happy, light. Thoughts of dark hair and unfortunately large eyebrows filled her head as she left, and she remembered how the deep brown eyes that carried a smile no longer looked at her with fear. Reece was content. 


	4. Chapter 4

Reece didn't want to get out of bed. That would mean she'd have to face her parents and after the fight they had last night, that wasn't an option. Of course her parents hadn't approved of her choice of friends. They insulted Killian, which he took in stride, yelled at Calix for some stupid shit, and made the poor girl who had simply needed to leave for work cry. She had stormed out of the house after a shouting match, and stayed the night at Killian's. His sister, Mary-Claire, was more than willing to feed an extra mouth, despite the family's financial situation and the ridiculous amount of children in the home. The homemade food was a welcome change from the expensive restaurant food her parents ended up eating almost every day. It made her feel warm and happy, despite the rambunctious behaviour coming from 13 seperate siblings, not to mention their mother and father.

So, instead of getting up, she continued to lay in Killian's bed, listening to his heavy snoring across the room, where he lay on an old beat-up couch. She lay perfectly still, fear beginning to creep up on her, even as Killian shifted in his sleep only to fall off the couch with a thud. Damn byeong-shin didn't wake up though. Of course not. She was glad her nerves weren't projecting, but she felt a bit concerned over the fact that Killian was still unconscious. Had he hit his head? Did he have a concussion? She grumbled angrily before crawling out from under the blanket (a thick quilt hand-made by Killian's mother, she notes with bitterness), shivering slightly before making her way to the unconscious boy. She nudged him with her foot, and his breath hitched slightly. He was probably bruised, but that was it. Reece moved back towards the bed, when the door suddenly slammed open. Killian shouted as  Michael shot through the door, collapsing on his younger brother while screaming “HE'S GONNA KILL ME! FUCKING PROTECT ME LIKE A MAN KILLI!”

Reece sighed softly, knowing there was no chance to fall back asleep and never return home again. She grabbed her clothes from the day before (she had slept in some of Mary-Claire's old clothes) and shuffled to the bathroom to change. Her parents would be pissed, no doubt. A heavy sense of dread settles over her the closer she gets to leaving. Her eyes began to sting as she left the bathroom, and her breathing was shallow and erratic. No no no, not this shit… She accidentally dropped the dirty clothing and bent down to pick them up, only to fall onto her knees and find that she was unable to get up.

At that moment, Killian emerged from his bedroom, shouting something at his brother before he noticed the crying girl on the ground. He recognised the signs of a panic attack from how often his mother had them and immediately knelt beside her. “Hey, 'm gonna touch ya, okay? Not gonna hurt you ‘r nuthin’.” He kept his voice low and Reece was extremely grateful for it. He carefully wrapped his arms around her, just comforting her as she tried to calm down. Michael saw as well, but kept his distance. He knew that his presence would probably make things worse, seeing as Reece didn't know him all that well. Instead, he went downstairs to keep everyone else away from the two friends. Killian continued to mutter nonsense. He had no clue if this was helping, seeing as each person reacted to different kinds of treatment, but Reece began to shake less and breath a little deeper, so he kept doing what he was doing, talking about dumb shit him and Grant used to do in middle school.

Eventually, Reece attempted to pull away from the hug, and Killian let her. He looked at her face, trying to read it and make sure she was alright, when she wrinkled her nose suddenly. “You smell. Go take a shower or something.” Killian grinned, standing up before offering a hand to Reece. She took it. Before Killian's shit-eating grin could get too big, Reece spoke, “I'm only letting you help me because I feel like I'm going to fall over. Don't get too full of yourself, baegchi.” Killian's grin didn't get any smaller, and Reece let her guilt fade a bit. The boy was clearly glad she was okay, and that made her happy. Someone genuinely caring about her left a small dent in her walls, and she found herself wanting to get them down. Not yet, though. Suddenly, Joshua's voice sounded from down the hall. “GET A ROOM YOU TWO!!” The shout was followed by several snickers and Reece shouted quite a few colourful threats down at them while Killian bolted towards the stairs. Reece appreciated the respite. She felt like she could face the world when these people believed in her. Breakfast was amazing. Nobody commented on her breakdown, which was wonderful, and Mary-Claire had made Strawberry Creme Oatmeal with small cherry pastries of some sort on the side.

Reece was skeptical of the sugary food at first, but eventually Killian convinced her to taste it (see: shoves it in her mouth). The sweet taste had her captured immediately. She was bombarded with questions along the lines of “You've never eaten sweet foods before?!” and “Yo, your parents don't let you eat sugar?!” She felt almost embarrassed, but realised quickly that nobody was judging her. They were legitimately curious. So she answered honestly. “My parents keep me on a strict diet. They think things like sugar or too much sodium will ruin my image.” She shrugged, her nerves bubbling. “I've never really craved sugar before or anything. So it's not like I was suffering.” The table went silent for a few seconds before suddenly erupting into the siblings offering up their pastries in order to “fix her sugar addiction”, or lack thereof. Life was sweet when she surrounded herself with people like this. 

      It was when Reece decided to finally head home at 10:30 AM when Killian finally approached her. “Yo! Wait up, Rich!” Reece paused, letting the obnoxious boy catch up to her at the bus stop by his house. “Where are ya… goin’...?” He panted as he asked, winded from just running almost a quarter of a mile. Reece raised her eyebrow in a look that said ‘seriously?’ “I'm going home, dumbass. What does it look like?” Killian froze at that. “Ya don' hav’ta go back there, ya'know.” He lowered his gaze, staring at the ground rather than Reece's shocked face. “I-uh… know that tha's why ya panicked this mornin’...” He let out a frustrated sigh. “I don't really know how ta tell ya. I just… know that you can come ove’ here wheneva ya need ta, okay?” His voice had lowered to a near whisper, and his eyes looked up to see Reece's misty ones. Reece looked down, before smiling broadly, a few tears sneaking down her cheeks. “‘Course, Killian. I know that.” Killian grinned, and the bus pulled into the station. Perfect timing. Reece felt like she was about to cry, and she really didn't want Killian to see that. She boarded the bus, thinking about the personalities and characters she was beginning to see as a family to her. These people were all she needed.


	5. Chapter 5

Reece didn't know what she expected when she walked into the Hicks household on Saturday. But it was definitely not a completely wasted Killian lying on the floor of the living room, crying about something called ‘c-kicks’, with his older brothers smoking some sort of weed next to the window. She noted that Mary-Claire and Grace were completely absent from this shitshow. A strange mix of anger and fear bubbled in her chest, and she stormed over to Killian, kicking him in the stomach, hard. Killian gagged, heaving for a moment while trying not to throw up. “You-you dumbass!” Reece felt like crying and stabbing Killian at the same time and it was fucking with her mind in unpleasant ways. Flashes of her mother, drunkenly throwing bottles of expensive wine, still full, at her ran through her head as she yelled at the drunk 16 year old lying on the ground. “Why would you do this?! It's not funny, and you definitely shouldn't be ruining yourself like this!” Reece continued to rant, unaware that tears were beginning to fall down her face. Killian looked on with a strange expression, something she couldn't place. Reece froze. Killian had reached his hand out, wanting to comfort her, and it had caused her to flinch.

Mary-Claire stood in the doorway, looking on at the scene with something akin to horror on her face, a few glasses of water and tea on the tray in her hands. Mary-Claire spoke first, moving quickly to put the tray down and remove Killian from the living room. “I'm so sorry, sweetheart. He didn't hurt you, did he?” Mary-Claire worked in a frenzy as Reece slowly shook her head, attempting to regain some sort of composure. Mary-Claire nodded. “Good. That's good. I'm glad.” She smiled softly when she returned to the living room, carrying a small mug of tea, and a container of sugar cubes. “Here, sweetie. This will help calm your nerves.” Mary-Claire handed the mug to Reece, who muttered out a small ‘thank you' before dumping a shit-ton of sugar into it. She sat and watched silently as Mary-Claire began throwing out the older boys as well, kicking them out through the kitchen door into the back door. Reece felt a little guilty. But more angry. Killian, that idiot. The fact that he was drunk had triggered unpleasant memories. But she knew it wasn't his fault. Mary-Claire had noticed the sour expression on Reece's face, along with the way her hands gripped the mug tightly, and sat beside her on the old couch. She gently tugged the mug out of Reece's fingers, wanting to prevent a spill, before speaking. “I apologize for his behaviour. We all have our coping methods and his just happens to be alcohol.” She scrunched her nose. “I wish it wasn't, but there's not much I can do about it at this point.” Reece nodded slightly. “I… get it. I just…” She sighed heavily, unsure how to bring up the topic of her home life. She didn't need to, however, as Mary-Claire gently touched her shoulder. “I understand. I used to be the same way as you.” Reece glanced over at the woman curiously. “You…?” Mary-Claire nodded, a melancholic smile on her lips. “My mother hasn't always been clean.” Reece was about to respond when there was sudden creaking on the stairs. Both females looked over to see Killian, looking slightly worse for wear and much more sober, standing at the bottom of the staircase. “I uh… ‘m sorry. For whatever ah did.” His voice collapsed into a mumble, guilt evident on his face. Reece huffed. “Stupid boy. You apologize to me but don't even register what you're doing to yourself.” Killian scratched his neck sheepishly, mumbling a small “S'rry.” Mary-Claire suddenly stood up, briskly walking over to Killian before grabbing his face harshly and whispering rapidly. Reece couldn't hear their conversation, but judging by the expression on Killian's face, it was probably something she didn't want to hear.

Killian looked away, his ever-present grin making its way to his face as he looked at Reece. “Ya have a bad day, Rich?” Reece snorted, before immediately covering her mouth. That’s an understatement. The action caused Killian to chuckle, “Same here. Ya wanna go out somewhere? With Ponytail and Baby?” Reece was confused by the nicknames for a quick second, before realising they were indeed a nicknames for the short female and tall boy they also grouped with. She pretended to think for a moment, a warmth spreading through her chest. Shrugging, she muttered, “Why not?” Killian let out a half-laugh, before plopping himself on the couch next to her. “That's good ta know.” The words were mumbled and a little slurred. But Reece didn't mind. Killian didn't ask questions, simply took up the phone next to the couch and dialed up his friends. Our friends. She listened as Killian invited the two over, where they would meet in order to go to a local cafe together, sipping at lukewarm tea. Mary-Claire had retreated at some point, presumably to make lunch, judging by the smells pervading the now near-empty living room. Reece was lost in her own thoughts, which caused her to jump slightly when Killian wrapped his arms around her. She was a little uncomfortable, not used to touching in general, not to mention physical affection. She allowed it, however, simply because of the words that came out of Killian's mouth. “I'll… try ta get better about it. Can't guarantee nuthin’, though.” The two stayed that way until the doorbell rang, telling the teens that their friends had arrived. Killian left to go let the two in, leaving Reece to warm thoughts of friendship and comfort.


	6. Chapter 6

Reece continued to glare at her body in the mirror before her. Her eyes found every pocket of fat, every disgusting fold of skin, everything that indicated that she was less than perfect. She had excused herself from dinner with the Hicks, remembering a previous conversation with her mother about her bodyweight, retreating to the bathroom almost immediately. A knock. Reece jumped. She didn't answer, hoping whoever was on the other side of the door would just leave. She didn't want anybody seeing her like this. Her ignorance backfired, however, and she missed the door opening, closing softly, and then locking. The sudden arms around her waist shocked her. She glanced over her shoulder, her heart pending from anxiety. Killian stood there, dark brown eyes staring sadly at her reflection. His voice was low when he spoke. “What're you lookin’ for, Reece?” Said girl huffed, untangling herself from the hug. Her tone was defensive. “None of your business baegchi. Get out.” Now it was Killian's turn to huff. “Is this about your parents obsessin’ over your image? Don't try to lie to me either, I've caught you throwin’ up in ‘ere before.” Reece felt her face burn. Whether in shame or embarrassment, she didn't know. Didn't really want to know, either. “Fucking- get out, Hicks. You don't get to tell me shit about my body!” Killian locked his jaw, trying to keep his own temper in check. “But your parents do?” Reece curled in on herself, trying to hide herself from the upset boy. “I'm not- perfect, Killian. I'm not beautiful, I'm- I weigh too much, I have too much fat, I-” She was interrupted by a shout from Killian. She flinched in surprise, looking at him with wide eyes. Killian was standing rigid, breathing ragged and uneven. “Who the hell cares what some stuck up bitch thinks is the correct term for beauty? Your body is unique and amazing and completely yours. And isn't uniqueness where beauty truly lies? Because beauty and perfection are completely arbitrary terms, and the fact that something is so entirely marked by you is what really makes your body so amazing and wonderful and worth existing in?” Killian huffed, his eyes watery. “Societal beauty definitions are bullshit.” Reece backed up a small bit, shaking slightly. Tears had begun to fall over her cheeks and Killian sucked in a quick breath at the sight. “Shit, shit, ‘m-m sorry, Reece, I- fuck- I didn’ mean ta make ya cry-” He was clearly beginning to panic, and Reece was near desperate to fix that. “I-its fine! Don't,” She let out a shaky breath. “Don't worry. I- really.” She unwrapped her arms slightly. Her mind mulled over the words Killian had said and she shuffled towards him. “I… really appreciate it. What you said. I just- I'm so used to being berated and yelled at for what I look like. I'm sorry.” She bowed her head. Before lifting it again at the sound of laughter. “You don’ needa apologise, Reece. I get it. You're parents aren't really… good. I uh, hate telling people how they should feel about others, but your parents seriously suck.” Reece smiled slightly, and Killian handed her a shirt. “Yeah. I guess they do.” She laughed at the flush that covered Killian's face as she took the shirt, uncovering herself completely. Obviously just this one conversation wouldn't help her recover completely, but it was nice to know she was starting on that road. And that she had an amazing friend to help her down it. The two left the bathroom, Reece making fun of Killian's embarrassment, and him half heartedly defending himself. Though Reece said she didn't really want to eat anything, Killian still took her back down to the dining room, where she enjoyed the rest of her evening surrounded by supportive people and warm friends. Overall, it was a good night. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Unedited


	7. Chapter 7

Reece was on a rebellious streak. She had managed to cut out a shit-ton of toxic people her parents set her up with, and bought plenty of clothes she herself enjoyed, rather than what her parents approved of. Now, however, she was trying to figure out how to maintain that freedom in a more permanent way. She had been getting ice-cream with her newfound friends, when Killian suddenly shouted, “Don't fuckin’ judge me, Synn!” She looked up, startled. Killian was standing over the table, scowling. Reece decided to be the reasonable one. “What idiotic notion are you two dumbasses arguing about now?” Killian ignored her. “Ya really wanna talk, Ponytail? Hell, lookit what you wanna do with your bangs!” Calix huffed, a dark blush spreading outwards from his cheeks. “It looks cool, asshole. Bright pink hair is just ridiculous!” Celia sighed softly, a gentle smile on her lips. “I mean, I think it would look adorable, Kili.” Killian whipped around, letting out a whiney “Not. Helping!” The tan boy let out a sigh. “I mean, it's not like I could afford it anyways.” Reece perked up, a sudden idea popping up. “I could pay for it.” All three of her friends turned towards her. A squeal came from the short girl next to her. “Ah! Ohhh, Reece! You're so sweet!” Reece suddenly flushed, spluttering. “I-I'm only doing this because I have too much money and nothing to spend it on!” Killian started laughing, his signature shit-eating grin holding his features. “You're not foolin’ nobody, Rich. You wanna dye yours too, doncha? To stick it ta your parents!” Calix grinned towards her too, adding his own two cents. “It's either that or you just pity poor fucks like us.” Reece puffed out her cheeks, embarrassed over the idea she genuinely cared for these dumbasses (despite the fact that she really, truly did and that shit scared her), grumbling out a few insults before waving her hand dismissively. “Yeah, whatever, think what you want.” She stood up, a scary grin taking over her mouth, a glint in her eyes. “Let's go, right now.” Killian choked on his cone, which had been momentarily forgotten about in the argument. Even Celia looked a bit apprehensive. Calix was the one to speak up. “Wait, right now? As in, this moment? ‘Cause uh, we don't have any way to get to a salon Reece-” Reece interrupted him by pulling out her phone, hitting one of the contacts in it. A man's voice sounded on the other end of the line, “Ms. Koyama? Did you need a ride somewhere?” Reece hummed, “Yes. I need a ride for four to Pastale Colour from Sasha's Ice Cream. ASAP, if you wouldn't mind.”

“Of course miss. I shall be right there.” The phone call ended and Reece looked back at the three shocked teens smugly. “You were saying, Calix?” Calix shrugged, laughing breathily. “Alright, you win, rich bitch.” Reece wrinkled her nose for a split second, still unaccustomed to the friends ways of affectionately insulting each other. The four teens spent the next 5 or so minutes simply talking, excitedly sharing ideas for how to dye or cut their hair when a spotless white limousine suddenly pulled up. Killian's jaw dropped, Calix making some unholy noise and Celia giggling like a school girl. Reece grinned, smug that she could impress her friends like this. A bald man the size of a truck got out of the driver's seat, opening the back door for Reece and her friends. He was covered in tattoos and piercings. “Your ride, Ms. Koyama.” Reece nodded slightly, gesturing the other three to follow as she spoke. “Thank you, Three.” Killian whispered to the Korean girl as he climbed into the vehicle behind her. “Three?” Reece nodded, snickering slightly at the lost expression on his usually smiling face. “Yeah, people think he got it during his time in the mafia. Don't worry, he's a good boy now. He won't kill you.” She grinned evilly, shrugging. “Probably.” Killian made a small squeaking noise, while Celia shot up to the front, where the partition sat open. “Is it true you were part of the mafia?! Can you show me your tattoos?! OH OH! DO YOU HAVE A SWEET LOVE BACK HOME THAT MADE YOU QUIT THE MAFIA SO YOU GUYS COULD BE TOGETHER AND THEY'RE NOT WORRYING EVERY NIGHT ABOUT WHETHER YOU'LL MAKE IT HOME ALIVE?! OHHHH-” She continued to ask (intrusive) questions, making up several scenarios as she daydreamed some ridiculous story between Three and an imaginary lover. The driver (god bless his soul) listened patiently, answering questions in a rather amused manner as he drove to the expensive salon Reece had planned on taking them to. 

      When the group of bubbly teens finally got to the salon, Celia was the first one to cry out, shooting out of the limousine in a frenzy. Three chuckled as Calix peeped out a small “Thank you!” He exited the vehicle quickly, too shy to handle the stares they were receiving for very long. Killian walked out with a swagger in his step, enjoying the attention from all the haughty upper-class people in the shopping district. Reece exited last, giving the driver a small stack of cash, thanking him. She dragged her friends through the door, excited. Her friends looked amazed with the amount of emotion she was displaying, but quickly ignored it in favour of marvelling at the interior of the expensive salon. Reece headed over to the reception counter immediately, asking how soon she could schedule an appointment for the four of them. The lady at the counter chirpily told her they could do so immediately. And so, the four dorky teens were sat down, professional hands working their hair nicely (even Celia’s curly mess) and they walked out, feeling completely overjoyed at their new looks. Reece ran her hands through her now shoulder-length hair. She had gone for a two-tone look, saying it was because it looked cool. Her personal reasons for doing so ran much deeper, though. Calling up Three, the four teens rode home, Reece feeling entirely happier and warm.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Unedited

**Author's Note:**

> This is a little side - project backstory thing for my webcomic on Tumblr. You don't need to read the webcomic, but I'll add a link later for those that want to.


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